and all
adhering filaments; the question now occupying botanists, being this, is
the embryo derived directly from the boyau or is it derived from some
parts of the ovulum?

"I hope you can understand these sketches."

* * * * *

_Peshawur_: _13th December_, 1839.

"What a shame it is that botanists should know nothing whatever of the
formation and structure of wood! They look at a section of a piece of
oak, and imagine they have discovered the secret, and write volumes on
this imagination, yet they have been told over and over again, that
nothing is to be learnt on such subjects without beginning at the
commencement, which they are too idle to do. To name an abominable
Aster, is among them of much higher importance than to discover the cause
of the growth of wood. Medullary rays are most difficult, because they
are very often deficient particularly in climbers. I am horridly idle,
and yet what can I do without books; yet with regard to books, the more
originality we possess, the less we require them? There is nothing to be
got here except a few marsh plants coming into flower. One beautiful
Chara, which might disclose the secret, had I good glasses, it is a most
graceful pellucid form, an undescribed duckweed, a floating
Marchantiaceae. Would that I was settled with a Ross on one hand, and a
Strongstein on the other, around my collections with good health and good
spirits. Tell ---- I have in view the division of the vegetable kingdom
analagous to radiata, they include all the Marchantiaceae, and are, to
all intents and purposes, Vegetable Radiata."

* * * * *

_Pushut_, _1st march beyond Kooner_:
_January 29th_, 1840.

"This will be a letter of odds and ends, you know I was to return to
Jallalabad; well I reached that place, but left the encampment and
crossed the river, where an advance road making partly for the Kooner
expedition were employed, and having originally determined on going to
Kooner, I accompanied them two marches, when they were overtaken by the
army, to avoid which, I halted one day, and on the next proceeded onwards
by the north bank of the river, thus saving all the fords of this horrid
river. I should call it beautiful at any other season. The road was
bad, and the last one and a half mile into camp most difficult, the path
winding round and over spurs of sharp limestone rocks which must have had
abundance of silex in them they